Opposing new and expanded coal mines is hard work, so I think it’s always good to celebrate our victories. And we have a victory to celebrate: Mokau South Resources Ltd has withdrawn all their resource consent applications for their proposed Panirau Plateau coal mine.

But we still took it seriously. CANA, working with Waikato Climate Action and Climate Justice Taranaki, made sure there were plenty of submissions against the project, ensured Waikato Regional Council took their responsibilities under the Resource Management Act seriously (in stark contrast to some other local bodies we could name), and explored some other avenues of putting pressure on the project.

The resource consent hearing suffered delay after delay, so it wasn’t a huge surprise when we got a letter late last week saying the resource consent application had been withdrawn – but a win is a win, so when we get them, let’s enjoy them!